Disclaimer: Hang on! Looks in mirror Nope still not JK Rowling and therefore own nothing.
Chapter Eight:
Prongs' Reaction
As the muttering crowd parted, I quickly assessed the situation. Remus' head had been stretched into an elongated cone shape, his hair was now a grotesque lime green, and his face was covered in hundreds of slimy black tentacles, which were oozing a mustard yellow pus. Along with canines that had been lengthened so the points were level with his chin, he was quite a sight.
Currently he was lying on his right side, near arm at right-angles to his body. His left arm was pulled across him, with that hand tucked under his head. Also brought over his body was his right leg, at right angles to his torso, to balance him. I recognised the position from one of my mothers first aid books.
Knelt next to Remus was a blond second year by the name of Katy Scott. She didn't look up as the Gryffindors parted, instead she stayed bent low next to him, murmuring words of comfort to him, in case he could hear her.
"You," I said, taking control of the situation and pointing at a random girl in the crowd. "Go get madam Pomfrey, now."
She nodded, eyes wide, and fled out of the portrait hole.
Peter and I went and knelt by Remus, Peter to his back and me by Katy. She straightened up as I instinctively touched his shoulder gently, and whispered that we were there. Then I looked at the second year who had tended Remus. Her eyes were wide and fearful, I could tell panic gripped her stomach, but she had kept her head and done something. I prayed she'd stay calm a little longer.
"What happened Katy?" I asked softly.
"Well," she said, biting her lower lip. "James Potter was sat in the corner, playing with some mirror when Lupin came in. Lupin went over to Potter and they had a short discussion I didn't hear. Then, all of a sudden Potter shouted that he'd rather snog Snape than talk to Lupin, and if he didn't leave him alone he'd hex him back to the stone age." She took a breath and plunged on. "Lupin said that if it made him feel better, he should. Potter didn't say anything, so Lupin said he'd better hex the living hell out of him because he wasn't leaving until they'd talk or he'd been cursed into oblivion.
"Potter got this weird look on his face then, and let a whole load of curses fly. Lupin didn't even go for his wand. After about six or seven curses Lupin looked like this and Potter left the common room
"When he'd gone I checked Lupins vitals and put him in the recovery position, the way they taught us in the Brownies."
I shared a significant look with Peter, we both knew what this was about. "How long ago was this?"
"About ten minutes ago," Katy replied.
I smiled at the nervous girl to reassure her. "Well done, Katy. You did great, and I'll make sure Professor McGonagall hears, but next time send for a teacher or Madam Pomfrey. Okay?"
She nodded and rose from her position and moved back into the crowd.
"Good," I turned my head so I could take in the whole common room in one sweeping glance. "All of you, go to your dorms, unless you haven't eaten yet, in which case go to the Great Hall. I'll tell you when you can come down again."
The spectators quickly dispersed, knowing that an order from me wasn't to be disobeyed. Soon the common room was empty, and we waited patiently for Madam Pomfrey to arrive. Each of us took it in turns to mumble words of reassurance in Remus' ear, not knowing if he could hear us or not.
It wasn't long before a white shape, revolving very fast, appeared in the fire place. Madam Pomfrey, a matronly woman in her thirties and wearing a crisp, white medi-witches robe, stepped out of the grate. Peter and I rose and moved back, out of the way, as she bustled over, impatiently brushing ash off of her clothes. When she reached Remus she dropped to her knees and muttered a diagnostic spell over him in one, fluid movement.
"Remus Lupin," she muttered, rolling her eyes. As she continued her fussing, she began the rant that usually accompanied one of her treatments. "Why is it always one of you, or something to do with, you four." She conjured a stretcher and levitated Remus' unconscious form onto it. "There are nearly nine-hundred pupils in this school, but ninety percent of my work load comes from the males in Gryffindor sixth year.
"Do you realize how disproportionate that is Mr Pettigrew?"
Peter looked terrified that the intimidating matron was addressing him, and tried to fade into the background. Madam Pomfrey wasn't a women to be crossed, especially when it came to the care and well-being of the pupils under her watchful eye. She was held in high regard by the Hogwarts population, due mainly to her discretion, but had the ability to induce the same sort of fear as McGonagall. She'd even been known to throw Professor Dumbledore out of the Hospital Wing, if she felt he was disturbing one of her charges.
"Will Remus be okay?" I asked as she guided the stretcher into the fireplace.
"Oh, yes, he'll be fine," she replied, distractedly, as she to stepped into Gryffindors grate. "If you two wish to see Mr Lupin, wait outside the Hospital Wing. I will inform you when he is fit for visitors."
Her hand plunged into the pocket of her robes and pulled out what I assumed to be Floo Powder. "Hospital Wing," she said, opening her hand, and in a flash of green flames they were gone.
I sent Peter to alert the boys they could come down again, before he went to the infirmary. I informed the girls of the same, and then headed to Professor McGonagalls office.
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"How did McGonagall take the news?" Remus asked as we sat in the common room, much later that evening. It had taken Madam Pomfrey only an hour to heal the hexed sixth-year, and two hours to persuade her he didn't need to stay over night.
We were now sat together on the old, comfy sofa together, and Peter sat in the arm chair James had draped himself in two nights previously.
"How do you think she took it?!" I asked, rhetorically. "Her lips thinned until you could barely see them, and she started writing an instruction to James to complete your detention. While doing that she muttered that she didn't know what heighten into you four recently.
"She wasn't pleased!"
"Poor Prongs," Remus sympathized while amusement danced in his amber eyes. "Doesn't seem fair, when I told him to hex me."
"Yeah, why'd you do that? It doesn't make any sense," Peter said, with a look of pure confusion on his chubby face.
Remus patiently started to explain, "He wouldn't talk to me, and Prongs can go like that for weeks. I decided that if he got his anger out in one burst, I'd have more success speaking to him tomorrow.
"I've got to admit," he said, rubbing his head to check that it was still the right shape. "I didn't expect him to be quite so enthusiastic."
"You're lucky Katy remembered first-aid from the Brownies," I told him.
"Mmm, I'll have to thank her tomorrow."
"How can she be in the Brownies?" Peter asked, again looking extremely puzzled. "I mean Brownie is just the Scottish term for House-elf isn't it. She doesn't look like a House-elf, too tall for a start."
Remus and I laughed. Of all the boys, Peter knew the least about Muggles. We'd all suggested he took Muggle Studies, but the truth was, Peter wasn't interested. I reasoned that it was difficult enough for him to keep up with the wizarding world, without trying to keep abreast of the non-magical one as well.
"Katy Scott's a muggle-born," I explained, humour tainting my voice. "And the Brownies are an organisation for young girls. They're taught things like first aid and home crafts.
"They have a story about two little girls who got up early to do all the housework for their mother. When their mum woke up she thought their house had been visited by Brownies, hence the name. The girls are encouraged to be as helpful as Brownies."
Peter looked doubtful, "Sounds stupid."
"Cheers Peter," I said throwing a cushion at his head. "A lot of girls go to Brownies when they're growing up, including me!"
Peter found the idea of me as a Brownie very funny, and started laughing hysterically.
"It's not that funny," I protested.
"Well," said Remus in a serious voice, but with a mischievous glint in his eye. "It doesn't surprise me at all that perfect prefect Lily Evans was a Brownie, of any sort."
This made Peter laugh even harder as Remus began to chuckle. I shot them both a dirty look, while trying to remain stonily silent. However, their laugher was infectious, and I soon found myself giggling.
"I'm going to bed," announced Remus, as the laughter died away. "Or Madam Pomfrey will have my guts."
"Me too," said Peter .
Both boys rose and headed towards the stairs.
"Goodnight Lily."
"Night Evans"
"Goodnight guys," and they were gone.
I picked up Oliver Twist from the table again, noticing how the common room was emptying around me, and settled back into my favourite spot on the sofa. Kicking off my shoes I tucked my legs underneath myself, and started to read. I don't even remember where I got to in the book, before my eyes closed and I fell fast asleep.
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"Lily," The voice invaded my consciousness insistently, yet gentle in it's tones. "Lily."
My eyes fluttered open to instantly lock with James Potters hazel depths. My stomach flipped as electricity jumped between us. I forced myself to break his gaze.
"What's the time?" I asked groggily.
"About quarter to one," he told me softly.
I shook my head to clear the sleep induced fog. Looking at him again, I saw he was sat on the low table in front of me, smelling strongly of Brasso. I also noticed he'd removed my book, and carefully marked my page.
"Has Filch only just let you go?"
"Almost. I watched you sleep for a little while," he admitted, a blush starting to colour his cheeks.
"You watched me sleep!"
"You looked very cute. It seemed a shame to wake you," he said quietly, the blush deepening.
I shook my head gently, "You should let this sweet side of you show more often, Potter. I like it." He went even redder at this.
I think that was the first moment I realized that he really cared for me. Before, I'd always believed that I was a challenge to him. Someone he wanted to get, simply because I kept saying no, but if that was all it was, why would he watch me sleep. Surely, if I was just a simple case of wanting what you can't have, he wouldn't he be turning so red now. Why would he have so carefully moved my book, making sure that I wouldn't lose my place?
I decided to change the subject. The idea of a James that truly cared for me, was making me uncomfortable. Especially when I recalled the way my stomach flipped when I was near him, or the times we'd touched and lost ourselves in each other.
"How are you anyway?" I asked innocently.
"Tired," he said. "Muggle cleaning is exhausting!"
"That's not what I meant," I said, meeting his eyes and experiencing the increasing familiar jolt of my innards.
"I don't know," he said quietly. "Confused more than anything. I don't know what's happening to the Marauders. It worries me.
"I tried to speak to Sirius earlier, but he wouldn't answer me."
"You tried to talk to Sirius!" I said raising my eyebrows. "How?"
"We've got a pair of mirrors we use. Their enchanted, so if you say the others name into your mirror, they appear."
"How many ways do you four have of breaking the rules?" I asked.
James shrugged, but a mischievous grin spread across his face. "More than you'll ever know Evans."
I giggled and shook my head again. "So, you spoke to Sirius?"
"No," he said, the grin vanishing. "I tried. He told me, in no uncertain words, where to go, and hid the mirror in the bottom of his trunk."
"He'll come round James," I reassured him. "He just needs some time."
"I'm not so sure he will," he said, his worried frown causing little crease lines in his forehead. "He's been hurt so badly by his family, and not just physically. They have really put him through the mill for years.
"Then his girlfriend coming on to Moony, and Moony responding.
"And me! I didn't even give him a chance to explain. It's no wonder he doesn't want to speak to me." He ran a hand through his messy black hair. "From the outside he looks like this really over-confident guy," he continued. "But deep down he's not, he's always worrying about what other people think of him. I guessed it had something to do with his parents, we knew all wasn't right there, but when he turned up last Easter…" He took a deep breath, the sadness in his eyes was heartbreaking. "Well, the injuries were only the start of it.
"His folks said some terrible things to him, stuff parents should never say to their kids. Along with the usual blood-traitor rubbish, they told him he was worthless, more trouble than he was worth, that they wished he'd never been born! Oh, and my personal favourite. That had they known he'd turn out like this, they would have drowned him at birth!"
He stood up suddenly, fists balled with anger, and began pacing. "A parents love should be unconditional. My parents and I don't agree on some things, but they still love me. They'd never say anything like that to me."
"James," I soothed from the sofa. "He's not there anymore, he's safe. He's got you, your parents, the Marauders, Gry…"
"Yeah, he's got me," James said sarcastically. "I'm no better than them. I was so quick to judge, I didn't give him a chance to explain. So much for an eternal friendship."
He hit the back of one of he chairs, his rage starting to overwhelm him. I went to him and took the fist in my hands, meeting his eye.
"Are you telling me that if he hadn't had a good reason for what he did, you'd never forgive him?" I asked calmly.
"No, of course not," he said with great exasperation. "But…."
"But nothing." I cut him off. You'd have forgiven him, because that's what happens when you love someone, that's what friendship is all about.
"Sirius did something extremely stupid, and it could have had very serious consequences, you had every right to be angry. You can fight, be hurt and disappointed, but that doesn't mean that person means any less to you.
"You made a mistake yesterday, everybody does. That doesn't make you the same as his family."
"That's not the impression I got yesterday," he teased, with the shadow of a smile on his lips."
"Yeah, well, yesterday I was mad at you because you interrupted me trying to find out what was going on, and started being a git. It doesn't mean that I think you're as bad as all that." I noticed I was stroking the hand that lay in mine. I stopped but couldn't bring myself to break contact. Putting on a business tone to hide my embarrassment, I said, "If you don't want to make the same mistake with Remus you should talk to him. Hear his side."
"I know," he whispered.
He lifted the hand I wasn't holding and swept a lock of my flame red hair out of my eyes, and behind my ear. His hand fell down in a gentle caress of my neck. A tingling feeling followed his fingers, and carried on down my spine in a pleasurable shiver. We were still staring deep into each others eyes, losing track of time again, unaware of the world around us.
I don't know what brought us to our senses again, but slowly we both came to the realization that neither of us had said anything for several minutes.
"We should go to bed," I said before thinking and going red. "I mean we should go to our own separate beds, to sleep."
"I never thought you meant anything else Lily Evans," he said, laughing at my obvious embarrassment. "But if you're offering.."
I punched him in the arm. "Goodnight James."
"Goodnight Lily, and thanks."
"Anytime."
He kissed me softly on the forehead before we separated, and went to our dorms.
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A/N: Hello peeps, how I find you all well, and that you have enjoyed the latest instalment. Thanks as always to the fabulous reviews; Elayna Foumier; Black Emerald Dawn; navy-blue6; and The Fifth Marauder. You guys are fantastic and always make my day.
To The Fifth Marauder: I hope the spelling mistakes didn't detract too much from your enjoyment. I am very aware that spelling isn't a strong point of mine and keep a dictionary by my PC as well as spell checking, but this method is far from fool proof. (Still it's a great improvement on the drafts, I can be very creative with spelling). So you have my sincere apologies and I will try to do better. Obviously I don't know where you are in the world, but please keep in mind that I am British, and therefore use British spellings as well. Thanks very much for your review, Gem.
And now comes the weekly pleading for you all to review and give my little life meaning. Please, please, please review. Tell me if you like it, hate it, haven't read it, and any comments on my style (spelling) and plot. I can't improve without feedback.
Thanks to you all and take care,
Gem.
